The Seamster's Doll
by UtsuhoTetsuya
Summary: Living as a seamster was downright boring for Akashi Seijuurou. One day, someone suggested for him to make a doll. Overnight, the doll came to life and Akashi's life was changed for the better. Or was it for the worse? AkaKuro. Rated T


Wrote this one for the OTP Battle back at Tumblr! (I'm utsuhotetsuya btw)

Enjoy this somewhat twisted yet sweet story of mine~~

Have fun reading! \^O^/

* * *

**The Seamster's Doll**

Traveling across a wide meadow adorned with buttercups and colorful tulips, and through the thick forest that barely gave any penetration of sunlight for the forest bed, a man wearing a white and blue uniform strolled while whistling a happy tune. It was easy to get lost in the forest but he knew his way around it. He had a shoulder bag around him and a dark blue cap on his head. After walking for almost half an hour, the man could finally see the makings of a mansion up ahead. He was used to the long walk. Besides, he was paid well to travel so far.

The house stood magnificently on top of a small hill. Despite the fading brown paint on the exterior, the vines that were attached to the windows and wooden planks gave off a homely vibe. From a distance, the man could already see the hanging pots at the veranda and the big red door of the house. Finally reaching the house, he happily stepped onto the porch and pushed the doorbell button. The melody echoed sweetly throughout the empty house. It took awhile before footsteps were actually heard. And then, came a voice, "Who is it?"

The man took off his cap; revealing his blond hair, and said happily, "Kise Ryouta here~ Picking up a delivery for Miss Momoi!"

There was the small sound of the locked knob being twisted before the door was opened. Kise Ryouta, the personal delivery man for the Akashi family, smiled radiantly at the shorter red haired male, "Good morning Akashicchi~!"

Akashi Seijuurou, the owner of the mansion, bowed slightly to look at his wristwatch, "Hmm.. The Sun's up. I could've sworn it was still 3 am. Anyway, come in, I still have some things to fix before you can deliver it."

The blond nodded as he accepted Akashi's offer. Kise never ceased to be awed by the interior design of the house. The wooden staircase were carefully carved on the edges and the huge hallway in the middle of the house still shone brightly by the Sun rays that bathed through the glass windows. The house itself was so full of detail and beauty. It was truly a shame that Akashi lived alone and all the other mansions in the area had been wrecked down to make room for plantations. Kise could just imagine the empty space in the middle of the house being a dance floor. It would be filled with dancing aristocrats with huge chandeliers lighting up the room. The blond looked up and took note of the single lifeless chandelier hanging limply without a purpose.

Suddenly, Akashi's voice brought him out of his thoughts, "Ryouta, come here."

Kise realized that Akashi was already in his workshop. The workshop was just two rooms away from the entrance and it was where Akashi kept his designs and mannequins. The Ryouta family had been sending and delivering orders for the Akashi family since Kise's grandfather's generation. It was good business since Akashi's designs were always intricate as was his father and his father before him. Kise admired the dress Akashi was fixing on his mannequin. This time, it was a beautiful sky blue dress adorned with white pearls and white satin sashes. The puffiness of the dress caused by the cotton filling made it look extremely desirable.

Akashi turned the mannequin around and made some finishing touches here and there. When he was all done, Kise came closer, "It's beautiful…" His fingers traced the collar of the dress that had swirls and vine-like structure sewn on it.

The red head kept his sewing tools, "Well, she has good taste and description. It was very detailed unlike the previous ones."

Kise watched Akashi organize the multiple tools he had in all the small cabinets in the room. The workshop was called a workshop for a reason. That is, it had over 200 cabinets and drawers everywhere for all sorts of tools. From simple tools like thread and needle, to chalk and carving knives and even glue guns. This was the very reason why Akashi's dresses were in such high demand because all his dresses were made from scratch.

Back in the days, the Akashi family reared sheep and planted flax plants. They made their own clothing from wool and linen. After the sewing machine was invented, the business started. When it came to Akashi's father's time, fabric was easily bought from all over the world. His father had purchased a total of over 2000 different fabric that varied in material, length and color using the money gained from their successful plantation and small orders from their neighbors. Having to live with the fabrics hiding in the attic, Akashi had them all memorized in his head. He remembered which fabric was placed where and what color it was too. Now, there was only him left in the family. What else was there to do but to make full use of all the fabric he had?

Kise took the dress off the mannequin and started folding it neatly. Akashi presented a beautiful pink box for him to put it in. The dress was kept safely and the box was tied up with a strand of black ribbon. Kise took the box and rummaged his pockets for the papers that were meant for Akashi. He passed the papers to the red head and said, "Here are the new orders! There's no specific date to finish on so I'll just come by some time next week! Is that okay?"

Akashi flipped through the orders, "Certainly."

The red head escorted Kise back to the front door. Just before the blond took one foot out of the house, he turned to Akashi and said, "You know Akashicchi…" Remembering the puffiness of the cotton filling, Kise finished, "You could try making dolls you know? Not intricate ones! Just simple ones like those used in the good ol' days!"

Akashi's emotionless eyes turned into slits at Kise's kind suggestion "Get out Ryouta."

Fearing for his life, Kise nodded nervously and left the house, shouting, "I'll be back next week!"

The door was slammed shut and Kise saw no more of Akashi. As he got to the entrance of the forest, Kise sighed. His father always said there was something wrong with the Akashi family. Something happened a few years back and each and everyone died except for the youngest son. The blonde dared not to ask about it. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to.

* * *

Akashi walked upstairs to the library. The library was his safe haven from all the boredom he faced in the world. It was his escapade from getting worked up in his workshop. He didn't enjoy sewing but once he started, he wouldn't stop until it was done. The library had over 12 huge shelves filled with books, collected by his mother and aunt from when they were traveling around the world. He enjoyed sitting down and reading about mysteries or fictional characters. Soon, came the scorching noon. Feeling slightly parched, Akashi closed the book he was reading and walked away from the comfort of his chair.

He made his way downstairs and into the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. Akashi enjoyed a cup of Earl Grey most during lazy afternoons. As he poured the tea he brewed into a china teacup, he took a whiff of the tantalizing aroma. The red head sipped his tea and walked out of the kitchen. His blank mind unconsciously brought him back to his workshop. Akashi stood in front of the wooden mannequin he had used. He put his teacup on a small table before approaching the mannequin. Akashi squatted down and picked up the remaining fabric and cotton he had wasted. Despite the beauty of his creations, Akashi always left a mess of fabric and materials on the ground. Kise's words rang inside his head as his hands felt the soft combination of cotton balls over a thin piece of liner, _'You could try making dolls you know?'_

Dolls. Akashi hated that word. That horrible word destroyed his family. His hands gripped the materials but the fluffy touch remained unchanged. Akashi stared hard at his hands for almost 10 minutes. In the end, he gathered all the useless materials on the floor and placed them on his work desk. Akashi proceeded to cut a few fabric pieces and took out some apparatus from his drawers and cabinets. The workshop was always dim to help Akashi concentrate. The red head stood still for a while, picturing the image of his product. Satisfied with his idea and design in his head, Akashi's gifted hands went to work.

First, he sowed the body and stuffed it with cotton balls from his previous dress and went on to work on the limbs. Akashi's hands worked like a finely tuned machine. Not for one second did he stop sewing. When the main body was done, Akashi thought of ways to sew the head. Finally, his hands started wondering off and sewed by themselves. Akashi wasn't thinking anymore, he just wanted the thing to be done. It is at these stages that Akashi cannot help himself. He hates sewing but he can never stop even when he doesn't know what to do next. In the back of his mind, Akashi said to himself,_ 'Hmm.. I haven't checked the vanilla pods today. Some of them looked ready yesterday. I should go see them later.'_

Next thing he knew, his hands stopped sewing. Akashi looked at his efforts on his worktable. Laying flat on its back was a simple doll that had baby blue fabric as hair, blue buttons for eyes and black clothing draped over it from the neck to above the legs. The hands and legs were like sausages and had no toes or fingers. It looked like a rag doll. It was missing a mouth though so Akashi took his scissors and cut a straight line across the doll's face. He then proceeded to secure the shape of the mouth, inside out, by stitching the sides. He added more fabric to the inside of the mouth, making it look stunningly real as though the doll could talk anytime. With a smile on his face, Akashi stared lovingly at the doll, "Hello there. My name is Akashi Seijuurou and I am your owner from now on."

The doll remained still as Akashi toyed with its limbs. He had completely forgotten what having a doll was like. It had been years since he last saw a doll much less make one. He dreaded dolls after what had happened but the doll in front of him gave out a warm feeling. Akashi looked at the wall clock on top of him and was shocked to see that it was already 15 minutes past 10. He had been working on the doll for hours. The red head looked at the doll again, "I think I'll call you Kuroko. Is that alright with you?"

Still, the doll remained stationary. Akashi yawned involuntarily, "I believe it's time for me to hit the hay."

The red head left the doll on his worktable and switched off the light of the workshop. He went on upstairs and into his own room. Changing into his night attire, Akashi traced the dark lines under his eyes,_ 'Maybe it's time to end this career of mine.'_ But Akashi knew that if he lost the desire to sew, then he might lose his life. For a second or two, Akashi wondered if the doll was going to be all right. Soon enough, he brushed it off and went to sleep.

As time passed by, the grandfather clock outside of Akashi's room started to tick louder and louder. Finally, when the clock pointed to 2:13 am, all pointers stopped moving. The clock rung continuously with an eerie echo. Akashi's calm face twisted into a face full of fear. He was having a dream of the past. He was in the meadow near his home where the flowers grew high and lush green trees surrounded them.

The doll his father had made stared at him with its realistic eyes. Akashi shivered involuntarily. The doll sneered, "They're all going to die. They are going to die because you made me."

Akashi shut his ears, "I didn't make you! I didn't make you!"

"Yes you did. You gave me life, master. Don't worry, I'll destroy all that you hate. I'll kill them all for you." The doll turned and trotted back to the mansion.

The red head suddenly realized that he was in his younger body. He couldn't move. Soon, he could hear his family screaming and the stench of blood, "No! Stop!"

Akashi jolted up from his bed. He was breathing heavily and cold sweat ran down the back of his neck. The red head calmly regained his composure and got out of bed. Akashi entered his adjoined bathroom and washed his face. He changed his clothing and wore his wristwatch, _'7:26 am.. I overslept.'_ He exited his room and looked at the grandfather clock that still had its pointers at 2:13 am_. 'It stopped… That means…!'_ Akashi's eyes widened as realization hit him. The red head rushed downstairs and ran to his workshop. To his surprise, the doll was not there. Kuroko was missing.

The red head thought hard before he went on a frantic search around the house. He searched in every room in the house but Kuroko was nowhere to be seen. He knew that this was going to happen but he didn't think Kuroko would be taken immediately. Losing hope after 2 hours of searching, Akashi walked out the back door to his vanilla plantation. He sat on the floor bed and sighed frustratingly to himself. That was when he saw an empty vanilla pod in front of him. After the empty pod, was a half chewed flower and after that was another empty pod and another half chewed flower. Akashi stood up and followed the continuous trail. Then, he saw it; a tiny doll reaching for another vanilla pod that was high up the pole.

Akashi stood still as he watched the doll tiptoeing to reach up, "Kuroko?"

The doll flinched before hiding behind one of the vanilla vines that had grown on the surface of the ground. Akashi squatted down with a relieved smile on his face. He slowly reached out his hand, "Kuroko, come here. It's me, Akashi, remember?"

The doll peeked at Akashi with its blue button eye. Making sure that it was safe, the doll stumbled towards Akashi. It allowed Akashi to pick it up and caress its head. Akashi cradled Kuroko lovingly. He was sure Kuroko was gone for good, eaten by the house, but it was safe and sound. There was a family secret that the Akashi family kept hidden from everyone. It started when Akashi's father was still a toddler. The first doll he had ever made was using plain pillow fabric and feathers and it had come to life. It was a phenomenal miracle. However, the doll would lose life after 7 days. He managed to entertain his parents but they soon saw it as something beyond talent; they saw it as something dark.

Kuroko clung onto Akashi's shirt. Akashi brought the doll inside the house and went into his workshop. He placed Kuroko on his worktable and watched Kuroko move about awkwardly. A smile appeared on Akashi's face as Kuroko began rolling the ball of thread on the table. Unfortunately, it rolled off the table and so did Kuroko. Akashi checked up on the doll and saw a piece of flower petal sticking out of Kuroko's mouth as the doll brushed itself of the dust that was caught on its face. Holding the doll gently in his hands, Akashi forcefully opened its mouth only to see a squashed flower. Akashi chuckled as he took the flower out, "Kuroko, you cannot eat or in your case, chew flowers."

Kuroko tilted its head to the side in slight confusion.

Understanding the gesture, Akashi continued, "No, it isn't wrong. It's just inappropriate. Understood?"

The doll shook its head in refusal and jumped out of Akashi's hands. It ran out of the workshop and away from Akashi. The red head sighed. He was dealing with one troublesome doll. Looking at the wall clock, Akashi decided to go for a walk in the meadow he had dreamt of earlier_. 'I really need to clear my mind…'_ Akashi walked to the kitchen and took out a loaf of bread. He also took out some jam and vegetables from the refrigerator. The dusty kitchen was finally put into use as Akashi started preparing for a picnic. Apparently, the sound of the kitchen utensils caught the attention of the stubborn Kuroko. The doll climbed the cabinets of the kitchen to catch Akashi's attention but Akashi chose to ignore him as punishment for not wanting to stop chewing flowers.

Not giving up, Kuroko tried knocking over the picnic basket but accidentally tumbled into it instead. Akashi laughed as he opened the lid of the basket, "You might as well just stay in there. I'm done with the preparations too."

The red head fitted his lunch and drink into the basket that still had Kuroko in it. Akashi carried the basket in one hand and a mat in the other. He left the house through the back door and made his way to the forest. Passing by the vanilla plantation, Akashi caught Kuroko trying to jump out the basket. Luckily, he managed to hold the mat and basket in one hand, thus he was able to grab Kuroko before it jumped. Akashi held Kuroko rather sternly, "No. There are flowers where we are going alright?"

Kuroko didn't fight back. Instead, it indulged in Akashi's warm hold. Kuroko snuggled towards Akashi's warmth and obediently stayed still until the red head passed the forest. Akashi basked in the fresh ambience of the wide meadow and walked to a tall, shady tree. It was where his family used to have picnics too. As he laid out the mat, Akashi released Kuroko who immediately ran to the small buttercups behind the tree. The red head sat down and leaned back on the tree trunk. It was a beautiful day to spend outside. He occasionally looked back to where Kuroko was sitting, helplessly chewing the flower petals. It was adorable in some way.

Akashi ate his food as he admired the scenery before him and the voices of the forest around him. He hummed a tune that was stuck in his head as he merrily ate out of the picnic basket. Unconsciously, his eyelids started getting heavy. In just a few minutes, the red head drifted off to sleep. Not even the hot breeze could wake him up. Akashi was sleeping peacefully in his sitting position.

After not hearing from Akashi for a while, Kuroko left the flowers and went to join the red head. When it saw Akashi sleeping, it tilted its head out of curiosity. The doll had never seen Akashi not moving. Kuroko inched closer towards Akashi and tapped on his leg. When Akashi still didn't move, Kuroko used both its upper limbs to grab Akashi's arm and shook him lightly. Fear started clouding Kuroko as Akashi's eyes were closed shut and his body was immobile. Frantically, Kuroko climbed Akashi's torso and finally clung onto Akashi's face. The red head's calm face suddenly had a frown on it. Theoretically, Kuroko was suffocating Akashi by squishing and blocking Akashi's nose. Air wasn't circulated and the red head eventually woke up, startled.

Akashi's body spasmed and Kuroko was accidentally shaken off. The red head shook his head from confusion and then he saw the doll on his lap, "Kuroko?"

Out of joy, Kuroko hugged Akashi's torso despite its short limbs.

Akashi then understood what had happened, "I'm sorry. Did I scare you?"

The red head felt Kuroko nodding into his chest. He returned Kuroko's hug and leaned back on the tree trunk. Kuroko was then lying on its belly on Akashi's chest. The red head played with Kuroko's fabric hair, "Kuroko, when my eyes are closed and my body is not moving, it means I'm 'sleeping'. It doesn't necessarily mean that I'm dead or something, all right? You should try it too."

Akashi's comforting words and gentle pats calmed Kuroko down. The doll was interested in this 'sleeping' system so it tried it out too. Akashi watched as Kuroko snuggled closer to his neck. Sooner or later, everything was still. Akashi could smell the trace of flowers all over Kuroko. The peaceful moment triggered a thought inside Akashi's head,_ 'What if… Kuroko is no longer here?'_ The red head went into panic mode as he held Kuroko and adjusted his sitting position. Akashi first called out to Kuroko gently but the doll still did not move. The red head proceeded to shake Kuroko. When even that didn't work, Akashi started to really panic, "Kuroko..? Kuroko! KUROKO!"

At the last call of the doll's name, Kuroko jumped out of Akashi's hands from utter shock. When it realized what had happened, Kuroko angrily pounced on Akashi for disturbing his sleep. However, Akashi was feeling nothing but thankful. The red head took Kuroko's beating with a smile on his face,_ 'So that's how he felt like just now.'_

Two completely different creatures that know nothing about each other realized that they cherished the other most.

At dusk, Akashi and Kuroko returned back to the mansion. At Kuroko's request, Akashi brought back some of the flowers that Kuroko liked. The red head placed the picnic basket in the kitchen and brought Kuroko into his room. The two flopped onto the bed and let the fatigue sink in from being out all day. Kuroko was sitting on Akashi's pillow and testing the squishiness of the mattress using its hind limbs. Akashi tapped the mattress, "This is where 'sleep' usually is done." Then he tapped the pillow, "This is where you put your head when 'sleeping'."

Kuroko did a cute gesture of flopping its head on the pillow and its body on the bed. Since Akashi ate throughout the day from the picnic basket, he didn't feel the need to eat dinner. Not like he usually ate dinner anyway. The chills of the night started creeping in so Akashi pulled the blanket over himself and a little bit for Kuroko, "It's time to sleep Kuroko."

Kuroko perked up at the order and rushed to Akashi's side. The red head appreciated Kuroko wanting to sleep with him. It might actually drive his nightmares away too. Akashi hugged Kuroko causing a nostalgic feeling to bubble inside as the red head remembered himself doing the same with his doll when he was young. It didn't take long for the master and doll to fall deep into sleep. That night, the time passed by slowly without any disturbance.

* * *

Kuroko woke up to Akashi's grumbling as the red head shifted his head. The doll watched Akashi breathe in and out as the red head's chest rose up and down slowly. Kuroko hugged Akashi's chest, loving the rhythm of his heart. Kuroko stayed in his position until Akashi woke up. The red head kissed Kuroko's head, "Good morning."

For someone who wasn't a morning person, Akashi sure felt refreshed. He lazily got off his bed with Kuroko still clinging onto his shirt. He entered his bathroom and pried Kuroko off of him and placed the doll on the side of the sink. The red head went to the bathtub and turned on the tap to fill it up with warm water. Akashi casually undressed himself and was about to enter the bathtub when suddenly he felt a soft tug at his left foot. The red head looked down to see Kuroko trying its best to stop him from entering the bathtub. Coming from a ball of cotton and fabric, obviously water was a major no-no.

Akashi chuckled and cleared the bath accoutrements on the silver tray that was perpendicularly placed on the bathtub sides. He picked Kuroko up on his shoulder and slowly entered the bathtub. Kuroko clutched Akashi's face in fear. But the red head simply said, "Trust me."

As Akashi descended himself into the water, Kuroko remained safely on Akashi's shoulder. Pulling the tray nearer towards him, the red head allowed Kuroko to hop onto it. The water level wasn't very high and the tray would most definitely keep Kuroko safe. Akashi indulged himself as the water fixed up his tensed muscles. Kuroko also started enjoying himself by splashing the water at Akashi's face. Of course, Akashi had to squeeze Kuroko's limbs to drain the excess water. After they were done, Akashi dressed lightly and head on downstairs with Kuroko not too far behind. He went to the kitchen and tied a purple apron around his waist. The red head took out some flour, eggs, vanilla extract and all the necessary ingredients to make a batch of pancakes.

Kuroko climbed the chair of the dining table and then climbed the table itself. It took a while though but the doll managed to do it. It didn't want to depend too much on Akashi. Transferring some flowers from the previous picnic trip into a bowl, Akashi presented it in front of Kuroko. The doll didn't hesitate to gobble up the petals. Akashi ruffled Kuroko's head and continued preparing his breakfast. When the pancake batter was done, Akashi heated up the frying pan. As he flipped his pancakes, the red head made a shopping list in his head. The nearest town was quite far but the walk wasn't very tiring and the journey wouldn't be so boring if he brought Kuroko with him. Akashi stacked up the pancakes and poured sweet syrup on the top. The viscous syrup flowed slowly over the hot batch of pancakes. Akashi sat on the opposite side of Kuroko and started devouring the savory goodness.

With bits of flowers around the mouth, Kuroko crawled onto the dining table and walked towards Akashi. The red head smiled and wiped Kuroko's messy face, "Kuroko, do you want to follow me to the supermarket?"

Kuroko piqued at the question but immediately responded by hugging Akashi's hand. The red head continued eating and when he was done, he said, "But you have to promise not to move so much alright?"

The doll nodded. Afterwards, Akashi cleaned up after himself and the two explored the vanilla plantation for any ripe crops to be picked. Sadly, Akashi was the one doing all the work as Kuroko just munched all the flowers he could find. It was a fun way to spend the afternoon. The evening rays came, signaling Akashi that it was time to leave for the supermarket. The red head went upstairs to his room to change into proper attire. He then brought a backpack to avoid from carrying his groceries using his hands. Akashi put on a hat to protect him from the Sun and called Kuroko, "Kuroko, come here or I'm leaving without you."

Kuroko who was playing in the workshop quickly rushed to Akashi's side. Akashi squatted to tie a cloth around Kuroko's head just in case the doll would feel hot too. Kuroko didn't fight back and let Akashi tie the dark blue cloth at his neck. In all honesty, Kuroko felt safe with a cloth around its head. Akashi made sure it wasn't going to fall off before asking, "Backpack or my shoulder?"

The doll answered by climbing up Akashi's left arm and settling itself on the red head's shoulder. Akashi stood up and tested Kuroko's balance. The doll proved that it wouldn't fall so easily. Soon, they finally went on their journey to town. Akashi was thankful that a sea of clouds blocked the Sun. Kuroko was very obedient and stayed glued to Akashi's shoulder. Every passerby stared awkwardly at Akashi. Having a doll on your shoulder wasn't something you'd see everyday. In less than half an hour, Akashi finally saw the makings of streets and stalls. They had reached the Teiko village. Akashi never liked the village… It was bustling with nosy people. The red head also wore the hat for another reason aside from protecting his head from getting sunburned.

When the first villager saw him, he could hear the whispers again. It was normal among society. When all your family members die in one night except yourself for no particular reason, there were bound to be rumors, speculations, hypothesis and whatnot. The lingering eyes followed each step Akashi took as he neared the supermarket. Kuroko looked around without drawing any more attention than Akashi already had and noticed the weird stares. Suddenly, Kuroko felt Akashi's hand touch its cheek, "Don't worry yourself about them." the redhead whispered softly.

Akashi entered the supermarket and took a shopping basket. Again, eyes were fixed on him. The previously noisy atmosphere took a 180-degree turn as the tension in the air silenced everyone. Meanwhile, Akashi ignored his surroundings and took what he needed from aisle to aisle. Kuroko kept quiet on Akashi's shoulder and hugged his face tighter. The doll watched its master pick item by item and placing them in his basket. All of a sudden, a man came up behind Akashi. Kuroko was scared but stayed still. Despite the distance between the two, Kuroko could still hear the man's voice, "You accursed creature shouldn't even step on our land."

_'Accursed?'_ Kuroko thought.

Without looking behind him, Akashi replied calmly, "I am just here to buy some supplies. I'll be on my way soon."

"Pfft. Yeah right. After you set a curse on us all? What are you planning inside that devil's mind of yours? Haven't had enough yet? Wanna kill us all too?"

No matter what Akashi had done, Kuroko had never seen the red head anymore than a saint. Anger boiled inside the doll with each word spatted by the man. Akashi was taking a can of peas when unexpectedly; the man swatted the red head's hand, causing him to abruptly drop the tin can. With anger in his tone, the man said out loud, "Look at me when I'm talking to you, you Satan!"

That was the last straw. Kuroko turned around and lunged at the man's face. The man screamed as the doll practically made him fall on his back. Akashi dropped his basket instantly and rushed towards the doll, "Kuroko, stop!"

The red head pried Kuroko from the man's face and scurried back to where he was. People gathered around Akashi, whispering, "The doll moved!" "It's settled, he's definitely using black magic…" "The curse is back!"

A tomato flew right at Akashi's face, "Get out of here you demon!"

More inconspicuous objects came flying towards the red head as he ran out of the supermarket. All the while, he made sure Kuroko was safe in his arms and was not hit. The red head rushed towards the exit and ran into a nearby forest, away from disapproving eyes. Akashi found shelter under a tree and sat quietly, trying to calm himself down from all the cardio. When he was sure he was composed, he looked at Kuroko who had its head down, "Kuroko? Are you hurt?"

Looking at the ground solemnly, Kuroko shook its head in denial.

"Kuroko, look at me." Akashi said sternly.

The doll lifted its head. If Akashi didn't know any better, he would say that Kuroko was crying. Akashi tried his best to clean himself up and smiled at Kuroko, "See? I'm better now. It wasn't your fault, Kuroko."

Kuroko crawled up Akashi's torso and hugged his neck with its soft limbs. The red head had never known so much comfort could come from a small plush toy. Akashi hugged Kuroko just as lovingly. The sound of branches and twigs breaking attracted their attention. Akashi turned and saw a young lady holding up a basket. The woman took a step back out of surprise, "O-Oh.. I'm very sorry.. But.. Can that doll really move..?"

Thinking it was harmless; Kuroko waved its left limb. Instead of running away in fear, the woman came closer, "How fascinating… My mother once told me of these moving dolls… I never thought they still existed…"

Kuroko hopped off of Akashi to greet the woman who had knelt down to have a closer look. The doll bowed like a gentleman and kissed the lady's hand. The woman was shocked and delighted, "Oh my!"

But Akashi knew that there was a reason she was there. He stood up and asked her angrily, "Why did you follow us? You're from the village aren't you?"

At hearing that, Kuroko immediately ran towards Akashi and hid behind the red head's legs. The woman smiled sadly as she revealed the items in her wooden basket, "These… were your grocers.. I'm.. I'm truly sorry for what had happened. The man that assaulted you was my father. When I saw you reaching out for that doll, you had that genuine look in your eyes."

"Genuine? How so?"

"The one thing that you wanted to do was.. save it. You didn't even defend yourself but I saw the way you protected it with your body, maybe even your life. As an apology for the misbehavior of my people, I think it's only best that I pass these on to you. Courtesy of my mother and I. Please accept it." The young lady reached the basket out towards Akashi.

Reluctantly, he took it from her, "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure."

Kuroko's shuffling caught her eye, "Umm.. Is it okay if I…?"

Akashi nudged the doll at his feet, "Kuroko, where are your manners?"

The doll stumbled forward. The woman squatted down as Kuroko approached her. Instead of a handshake, Kuroko climbed the lady's dress and hugged her instead. Annoyed by what was unfolding, Akashi pried Kuroko from the woman's chest, "Alright. Enough hugs for one day. If you don't mind, we'll be on our way. Thank you again." And with that, Akashi went on his way with Kuroko on his shoulders. The doll waved the lady goodbye before staying still on its master.

The woman left with a smile etched on her face as she remembered seeing the sweet scene of Kuroko hugging Akashi. Never would she have thought that such a simple doll could convey such emotions.

The red head managed to arrive home safely. Kuroko climbed down from Akashi and followed its master to the kitchen. They had a long day and all they needed was dinner and a good rest. Akashi wasn't used to walking for hours. Dinner flew by quite fast actually. Akashi picked up some flowers for Kuroko and made a sandwich for himself. Yawning twice as he cleared the dishes, Akashi's eyes started getting fuzzy. He hadn't been so tired since the 24 orders Kise gave him two months ago. That was a disastrous situation. Kuroko tugged Akashi's pants and pointed to the door. The red head smiled and dried his hands. He proceeded to pick Kuroko up and went on upstairs to his room. He was going to sleep peacefully again. The red head changed into his night attire and crawled into the bed with Kuroko in his arms. The two embraced sleep in pure bliss.

However, that night, the creaking sound of Akashi's door opening woke Kuroko up. Curiosity made the doll crawl out of Akashi's arms. If Kuroko could describe what it felt, then it'd definitely be fear. At the door, stood a shadow of a small creature. It was just staring at Akashi. Out of instinct, Kuroko stood at the edge of the bed near Akashi's feet and raised both its upper limbs in a defensive state. The shadow approached Kuroko but the doll bravely stood its ground. When the shadow came to a halt in front of Kuroko, it smiled.

* * *

The Sun bathed Akashi's room with its warmth. The red head woke up peacefully again that day. When he faced to his side, he saw that Kuroko was still 'asleep' it seemed. Stretching out his sore limbs, Akashi went downstairs to make some coffee. It had been awhile since his palette tasted the goodness of coffee on a calm morning. He was making his way back upstairs to check on Kuroko when all of a sudden, he had the urge to enter the workshop. Akashi felt as though he hadn't entered the workshop in a long time. He was a procrastinator in some way. Still, the red head flipped through the orders Kise had given him and read through the details. It wouldn't hurt to start early anyway.

The first dress, a red and black chiffon adorned with white satin sashes was the one Akashi got started on. He rolled and marked out 4 meters of a scarlet red material and ran the scissors across the mark. The red head draped the piece of cloth around his mannequin and pinned it into place. He then sat at his desk and started sketching out the details and taking down the measurements on the order paper. Sitting at the desk made Akashi remember the day he made Kuroko. For the first time, Akashi was actually distracted from his work. He got up and cut out more of the red material and took out a few tools.

As skilled fingers sewed, the door to the workshop was pushed ajar. Akashi turned and smiled at the doll on the ground, "Good morning Kuroko. Care to join me?"

The doll walked up nearer to Akashi and climbed onto the desk. Kuroko was surprised to see the red head sewing a small piece of clothing. Akashi beckoned the doll towards him as he snapped off the red thread of the coat he had sown. Without saying a word, Akashi pulled the black piece of clothing off Kuroko's body. The doll reacted bashfully by wrapping itself. Akashi could only chuckle at the unnecessary gesture. He held out the small red coat and ushered Kuroko, "Try it on."

The doll hesitantly wore the coat around its body. Akashi helped adjust the clothing here and there before twirling Kuroko around, "Hmm.. It looks good on you. Maybe a feathered hat would add the icing.."

Two hours later and Akashi had already sewn enough clothes to last Kuroko as a human being. There were small clothing everywhere like basketball jerseys, cardigans, sweaters, shirts, hoodies, pajamas and even dresses although Kuroko refused each and every single girly garment. Akashi laughed as he forced a black dress onto the doll. Kuroko flailed its limbs angrily. Suddenly, the red head realized, he was actually enjoying what he was doing. It was the first time he had even smiled much less laughed while he was working.

Kuroko was rolling on the worktable, trying to pull the dress off. The doll finally gave up and just sat defeatedly. It looked up to see Akashi smiling fondly at him. The red haired man undressed Kuroko before putting on the doll a blue and white cardigan. It was Kuroko's favorite because Akashi actually had to chase Kuroko around the room to force it to try other samples. Kuroko really loved its brand new attire. The doll jumped down from the worktable and ran out of the room.

The rest of the day flew by rather briskly. The doll and its master ate their meals together; Akashi had sandwiches while Kuroko ate some of the flowers from the vanilla plantation. Later in the evening, Akashi folded all of Kuroko's new clothings and neatly stored them in one of the drawers. The red head had found a new hobby, which was playing dress up. Before going to bed, Akashi had already sketched new designs for Kuroko's new line of garments in his head. He was truly indulged in his new hobby.

Neither of them was aware of the days that had passed by. On the sixth day since Kuroko's creation, Akashi taught Kuroko the game 'Hide-and-seek'. The doll was overjoyed to play with its master. At first, everything was all fun and games until at one point when Akashi couldn't find the doll. Sure the mansion was huge but the first time the red head couldn't find it, Kuroko jumped on his back to surprise him. It had been 3 hours since Akashi had counted till 10. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong.

The red head ran upstairs, "KUROKO!"

The house was rather quiet. Even the ticking of the grandfather clock could be heard from every corner. That was when it hit the red head. He looked at the grandfather clock and was shocked to see the time. The clock's reading was 2:13 and it stayed at 2:13 despite Akashi staring at the thin hand rotate over and over again. The red head balled his fists till his knuckles turned white. Anger flowed through Akashi's veins. All of a sudden, there was a huge crashing noise from downstairs.

Akashi ran as quick as he could. The sound led him to the workshop. The usually closed mahogany door was left ajar and the lights were turned on. Akashi slowly opened the door, petrified to see everything in a mess. The room looked as though it had been hit by a tornado; the drawers were opened with the contents pulled out, the satins and sashes were ripped, the tools were laying everywhere and the mannequins were positioned awkwardly in a circle. Akashi would have quickly tidied things up if a single blue button didn't catch his eye in the middle of the mannequins.

The red haired man pushed the mannequins away and kneeled to pick the button up. It was definitely Kuroko's because the white thread he had used to sow it onto the doll was still attached in the holes of the button. Akashi punched his fist into the floor. He had been reckless and now Kuroko was the one paying the price. The door behind Akashi creaked uncannily, a voice whispering quietly, "Come out and play Seijuurou~ Come out and play with me~" followed by child-like laughter.

Akashi stood up and walked outside. The whole house, the interior had changed. The windows were pitch black and all the lights were turned on. Even the lone chandelier was shining gloriously. The house looked new with fresh paint on the walls and not a single speck of dust. Akashi stood in the middle of what used to be their ballroom and simply listened. He could hear footsteps running either up or down the stairs. It sounded close yet faded. The red head looked at the staircase to his room and shook his head. He then looked down to the floor and sarcastically said, "Of course."

The red head stepped towards the wall where there were pictures of his family hung everywhere. It was never there in the current mansion, which meant Akashi was stuck in a parallel world. He didn't panic because it wasn't the first time. The seamster adjusted and rearranged each frame till the light from the chandelier reflected on the first frame and bounced to the next. The chain continued until the singular light was focused onto the floor where a keyhole was revealed.

Akashi had lost the key a long time ago but in that world, the key was always in his right pocket. The red head quickly unlocked the secret passageway that led him downstairs into the underground tunnel. With each step he took down the spiral staircase, the light from above slowly dimmed. When he reached the final step, it was almost too dark to see anything. There was a small spotlight further deeper into the tunnel. He slowly walked towards it but the closer he got, the faster he went because he saw the familiar fabric on the ground.

The red head clutched the piece of torn blue fabric his hand. He gritted his teeth in frustration. It belonged to the coat that Kuroko was wearing while they were playing hide-and-seek. Akashi's body jolted as a high-pitched scream reverberated around him. It sounded so near yet so far. He couldn't stay in the tunnel for long because he feared something might happen. The red head ran to the other end of the tunnel, to the ladder that led to the attic. As soon as he reached the way out, Akashi turned to look at where he had been. As though on cue, the spotlight earlier turned off.

Darkness crept up on him so the seamster hurriedly climbed up the ladder. He was supposed to end up in the attic but when he reached the top, he found himself in an unknown room. Akashi was breathing hard, the air surrounding him somewhat thin and heavy.

"Seijuurou~" called out a creepy voice.

Akashi hesitantly turned around. Suddenly, bright lights lit up, lighting up the whole room and blinding the red head with the sudden brightness. After his eyes adjusted, the red head bravely opened his eyes. He gasped at the sight in front of him. There was a huge marble table with at least twelve chairs around it. In each chair was a doll; the female dolls wearing beautiful dresses while the male dolls wore tailcoats and top hats. Akashi's breath hitched and he almost hyperventilated. Not only were all the dolls facing him but also he recognized each doll as his family members, his sister, his aunt, his mother, father, cousins, grandmother, grandfather and his uncle.

The doll that resembled his sister started speaking in the exact same voice that Akashi remembered her having, "You're late Sei-kun!"

His mother spoke next, "Were you playing with that doll again?"

Then his father, "Honestly, we should just get rid of it."

Akashi took a hesitant step back, "No… This isn't real.."

"Sei-kun?" "Seijuurou?"

The red head closed his eyes and covered his ears, "This isn't real!"

"Sei-kun!" "Seijuurou!"

The seamster shook his head. The voices of his family got louder and louder, defeaning him with their screams and cries, "SEIJUUROU!" "AHHHHHH!" "NO STOOOP!" "SEIJUUROU HELP US!" "SEIJUUROU!" "SEI-KUUUN!"

Akashi shouted from the top of his lungs, "NOOOOO!"

He fell onto his knees, body trembling as he whispered, "This isn't real this isn't real this isn't real.." over and over like a mantra to cancel out his family's desperate cry for help.

"…Master…"

Akashi lifted his head at hearing the small, soft voice. He didn't know whom it belonged to but only one person; only one object could have called him by that name in his current time, "Kuroko…!"

The red head mustered his strength and stood up. He faced the dolls of his dead family, "I have no time for this. None of you are real."

The dolls had a pained look on their faces. Akashi continued, "Disappear from my sight."

The dolls started dissipating into dusts. In the end, only his mother and sister were left. Akashi glared at them as their mouths opened to speak. The red head commanded strictly, "BE GONE!"

The two dolls disappeared, their screams echoing softly. Akashi regained his composure and walked past the table and opened the next door. He had finally reached the final destination. The attic was full of materials, stacked up neatly leaving only one walkway that led to a dead end wall. In the middle of the walkway was one of Kuroko's limbs. Akashi picked it up and screamed angrily, "GIVE KUROKO BACK!"

A voice responded out of nowhere, "But Seijuurou, you already have me. Why would you want that doll? We were always together… Always…"

The last word had come from the dead end wall. Akashi then remembered his past. He remembered how the doll his father had made came to life. How the doll said it had come to life because of Akashi. His parents fought often because of the doll. Akashi had overheard his grandparents saying that his father's curse was passed onto him. Akashi hated those times. His whole house was divided because of the doll. The red head remembered begging for it all to go away. The doll was filled with Akashi's misery and hatred to the point that it did the irreversible.

Akashi had woken up in the middle of the night with the interior of the mansion painted with the splattered blood of his family. The red head's scissors was used to stab each and everyone. Akashi found the doll pulling the scissors out from his mother's corpse, smiling happily, "Your wish came true Seijuurou. They all went away~"

The boy screamed so loud, he attracted his neighbors' attention. Akashi grabbed the doll and stabbed it continuously. He then went up the attic and dug a hole with his bare hands through the wall. The red head shoved the doll inside before covering it as best as he could. The neighbors found the bodies as how they were. They found Akashi amongst his dead family members, staring aimlessly. Pitying the small boy, they left him the house and his parents' fortune without question. Ever since then, no one approached the mansion. No one wanted to know how or why the Akashi family was murdered.

Akashi remembered everything. He didn't even notice he was closing his eyes before he had to open them. The red head approached the dead end wall where there were traces of misplaced wooden planks. The seamster slammed his fist into the wall, creating a hole. He started ripping the planks again just as he remembered doing when he was 9. As expected, the doll from all those years ago was staring at him; bloodied and stabbed as how he had left it. In the doll's arms was Kuroko, limp and immobile.

Akashi tried prying Kuroko but the doll wouldn't loosen its grip. The red head took a deep breath, "I'm not replacing you. Kuroko was not made to replace you. I made Kuroko in remembrance of you because I was lonely."

The doll moved its broken mouth, "Then why not play with me…?"

"We made a promise that night, 2:13 am remember? What you did was unforgivable. You promised to stay in here as long as I don't leave the mansion. Have I ever left and not return?"

The doll shook its head.

"Please return Kuroko. I need it and it needs me. I'll never leave you. I'll never abandon you, I promise. So please return the very thing that makes me want to stay in this world."

The doll finally relented and loosened its grip around Kuroko's body. Akashi grabbed Kuroko and hugged it tightly. He then looked at the sad face of the broken doll, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry to have ever created you."

The doll smiled sadly before everything turned white. Akashi was forced to close his eyes. He felt his body spinning as though he was being tossed. The last thing he heard was the broken doll's voice, "I'll always love you, master… I'll always be here…for you…"

Akashi woke up startled in his bed. It was morning already. The red head sat up and immediately regretted it. His head throbbed violently. He had to use his arms to hold himself up. His right hand felt a strange soft material, most likely not part of his sheets. Akashi turned and saw a pale beige material stuffed with cotton. It looked like a sausage. Another wave of painful throbs gave Akashi his memories back, memories of searching for Kuroko in the parallel universe.

The red head grabbed the limb and ran out of his room, "Kuroko!"

He opted to go inside the workshop unconsciously. Luckily, Kuroko was there along with its pulled out button. Akashi cradled Kuroko but the doll remained limp. The red head quickly took out his tools and proceeded to reattach the limb and blue button. It was only minutes before the seamster was done but the doll still did not move. Akashi sat and stared at Kuroko. Hours and hours later, Kuroko still did not move. The red head gave in to the fact that Kuroko was never going to wake up and stood up disappointingly. He turned off the lights and head on upstairs, sleeping alone for the first time in almost two weeks.

The seamster woke up the next day to the melody of his doorbell. He got up lazily and dressed warmly in his robe. At the top of the stairs, he could hear laughter and maybe just more than one voice outside his door.

"He'll like you for sure!"

"You wouldn't know that!"

"C'mon Kurokocchi! Who wouldn't like-"

Akashi opened the door rather abruptly.

"-you…" finished Kise. The blond smiled sheepishly at the red head, "Hey Akashicchi! I came for the deliver-"

"They're not done yet. I haven't had the time to finish them all so-"

Kise interjected, "That's great! I-I mean.. I figured you needed help and after I sent that dress to Miss Momoi, she called me again and said her cousin wanted to come and meet you! And maybe…stay and assist..?"

Akashi saw the shy teen hiding behind Kise. The blond urged the teen forward, "Akashicchi, this is Kuroko Tetsuya."

At hearing the name, Akashi's eyes immediately faced the teen. At seeing the teen himself, Akashi gaped. The teen had baby blue eyes that matched his hair. His skin was fair and pale and his body was small yet lean and slender. The teen bowed in front of Akashi, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Akashi."

"Pleasure's all mine, Tetsuya."

Kuroko blushed at being addressed by his first name. Kise left soon after, promising to return in a week. Meanwhile, Akashi showed Kuroko inside.

* * *

"Oh Akashi-sama. Touch me more!"

"Of course Tetsuya… I'll touch you here and here… And squeeze you there."

"Ah…Ah! Akashi-sama stop!"

Kuroko was standing at the doorway, staring at the make out scene Akashi was acting out using two dolls that resembled them. Without the red head noticing, Kuroko snuck up behind him and knocked his head.

Akashi whined, "That hurt…"

The teen crossed his arms, "Well if you wanted it, you could have just asked."

Akashi smirked as he cupped Kuroko's chin. They leaned in towards each other and kissed lovingly. The red head pushed his tongue passed Kuroko's lips, urging the teen's tongue to come out and play. By the time their kiss ended, Kuroko was a panting mess. He teasingly brushed his lips against Akashi's, "I seriously don't want to have sex in the workshop where the dolls can look at us."

The seamster chuckled, "Fine, bedroom it is. It's not like the dolls are alive or anything."

They left the room after Akashi cleaned up, turned off the lights and locked the door. In midst darkness, the two dolls left on the worktable entangled their limbs together, drawing each other closer. One was a doll with blue hair, blue buttons and was wearing a blue coat. The other was a doll with red hair, red buttons and was wearing a black swallowtail coat.

When no one was watching, the two dolls danced to the tune of the midnight breeze. Not everything was as it seemed; at least not in the Akashi family mansion that is.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Yup, sweet sweet ending... NO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE SHIT. My only answer to those questions will be "I'm sorry but my brain did it."

Heads up and thanks to Adila for posting this for me! ^.^

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